Guest Post: 10 Elements of Gothic Literature

October 26, 2018

With both Halloweenand National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) coming up, I have decided to partner up with Invaluable to bring you an epic infographic! For those of you planning on writing a novel that’s more on the spooky side, the below infographic depicts and explains the 10 main elements found in Gothic literature!

In the spirit of Halloween, it’s fun to explore genres that are a little more on the spooky spectrum. One that immediately comes to mind, is that of Gothic literature. The term “Gothic” was first applied to literature in the 18th century, after it appeared in Horace Walpole’s, The Castle of Otranto. Since, celebrated authors like the Bronte Sisters, Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, and many more have produced iconic Gothic masterpieces that have given us all a bit of a thrill. Today, we can gain insight into how to create a successful Gothic novel by looking at the elements used in past works.

The infographicbelow highlights the 10 essential elements necessary to write a captivating Gothic novel, and shows examples from iconic works produced over the last couple centuries. From creating an unnerving atmosphere to including some sort of emotional distress, uncover all that the genre encompasses below!

THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING THIS POST! AND WE HOPE THAT YOU FOUND IT HELPFUL IF YOU’RE PLANNING ON WRITING A GOTHIC STYLE NOVEL/STORY FOR NANO THIS YEAR (OR AT ANY POINT IN TIME)! PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY FEEDBACK ABOUT THIS POST, OR FUTURE POSTS LIKE THIS, IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW!